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"The young men and their families who participated in the program found it very difficult to laugh as their dreams fell apart," said Judge Jeffrey Tait, of the New York State Supreme Court in Broome County. "And fall apart they did."

In a blistering 27-page decision, which was filed in court Monday, the judge sided with the New York State Attorney General's Office and determined AAU Connect engaged in a pattern of consumer-oriented conduct that is "materially misleading" and in violation of the state's General Business Law.

Tait also said that despite a "no refund" policy, players and their families will be able to recover financial restitution and damages.

The Attorney General's Office has until Aug. 31 to submit details for damages sought.

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The former Henry B. Endicott School at 25 Jackson Ave. in Endicott was the learning center for the New York International Academy, a school that the New York attorney general says was a fraud.(Photo: Jeff Platsky/Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin)

What the AAU Connect lawsuit claimed

The Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit in September 2018 that alleged AAU Connect and its owners, Chris Bevin and Hazel Ward, advertised unverified claims that their program was the No. 1 post-graduate boys and girls basketball program in the Northeast, "the best in New York," and that it held "the very best coaching, training and educational facilities and college placement service."

AAUConnect billed itself as a showcase for talented high school basketball players looking to land at an NCAA Division I program, and some shelled out thousands for the program. Brochures and on-site tours conducted with prospective participants described a program as an elite training academy with top accommodations.

But according to August 2019 testimony in Supreme Court, when participants arrived in Endicott for the October start, they were housed in ramshackle accommodations and shorted on both on-court and weight-room training. Promised academic training was scheduled for only 30 minutes to an hour once a week.

During initial tours, players and parents were also told they would be housed in a Harry L Drive hotel, only to discover that last-minute arrangements had them in an out-of-the-way apartment complex, with six players in a two-bedroom apartment.

The Attorney General's Office said AAU Connect's website claimed it offered athletes from around the world the opportunity to participate in a 10-month New York International Academy High School or six-month post-graduate program.

But complaints arose that Bevin and Ward, who held the roles of CEO and admissions counselor for the company, were absentee owners who lived outside the U.S., and were never present to supervise the program or address problems that arose.

AAU Connect also failed to clearly disclose to consumers that any payments are non-refundable or that they charged significant fees for late payments, the Attorney General's Office argued. They also failed to pay refunds after consumers left the program due to Bevin and Ward not providing the advertised services and accommodations.

"Justice has been served for these students who were hoping for a shot at their dreams," New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement following the court decision to shut down AAU Connect's operation. "My office will not tolerate these deceptive practices that cheat students and parents out of their future and their wallets."

Judge says AAU Connect misled customers

Tait, in Monday's decision, acknowledged that while many young people and their parents desire strongly to achieve athletic success and a college scholarship, the skills and talent needed at the highest levels are extraordinary and many promising young athletes simply don't have what it takes.

But testimony established that what AAU Connect delivered was vastly different than what it promised, Tait said. For instance, the high school program as advertised never existed, and even meals provided to players were misrepresented.

The judge said there's a component of "you get what you pay for" in this situation, but never did AAU Connect advertise itself as the "economy version" of a post-graduate basketball program.